Shattered by the Sea Lord - Starla Night Page 0,41
until Meg collapsed at her seat in a lump. Then she tapped her brow. “Where did it happen? Early on? A leap year?”
“We’ve had a few surprises. Remember that one hurricane? We lost a week. But.” She grinned at Ciran and Dannika. “Now we never have to worry about losing days because you guys will get us to the mainland.”
The warriors focused on Ciran.
Bex kept her gaze on her plate.
Angie smiled graciously, although worry lined her eyes. “I am thankful you’ve come. We all look forward to returning home after twenty years.”
Chapter Fifteen
Twenty years.
Wow.
Dannika had lost Eliot eighteen years ago. It felt like a lifetime, and yet, these women had been castaways for two years longer.
“It is amazing how wonderful you’ve made this island,” Dannika said, and everyone smiled. “And I do hope we can find a way back to the mainland soon.”
“God, yes.” Meg squeezed her hands together in a plea. “I miss black forest cheesecake with the passion of a thousand burning suns. And Mom misses dumplings.”
“Chocolate peanut butter cups or chocolate bars dipped in peanut butter or just a spoonful of peanut butter.”
“Noodle soup. Hot and spicy noodles. Hand-pulled noodles.”
“Yellow birthday cake with chocolate frosting. And ice cream cake. Also, chocolate. And everything off a dim sum cart. Everything.” Meg shook herself and bumped Itime with her shoulder. “But we do what we can, and honestly, it’s not so bad. Look at me, tarantula queen. So long as you have your soul mate, you can get used to anything.”
Yes, that was true. They were not the traditional castaways stranded in a foreign environment with nothing but their emergency kit. No, they were stranded with natives and magic. Their positive attitudes must help as well.
“What about Val?” one of the ten-year-olds asked plaintively from down the table.
“What about Val?” Meg repeated, scrubbing her wood-ware in the cleansing sand.
“Where’s her soul mate?”
“Oh, baby.” Meg glanced at Val and away again. “Her soul mate’s not here.”
“Yep, she’s at home,” Val said. “And I’m hoping to get back to her as soon as I can.”
They all sobered.
Angie and Konomelu exchanged meaningful looks, and then Angie stood and clapped her hands. “Children? It’s time for bed!”
A disappointed chorus answered back.
Itime gathered his children. “Come.”
“I’m old enough to hear your plans,” Nuno argued.
Konomelu wrestled with the younger twins. “No plans are being shared until after your siblings are in bed.”
“Dad!”
“My son.” Konomelu lost the twins, then rose and clapped Nuno's shoulder. “Do you think I am not assisting?”
“But…” Nuno gazed at the star-spackled sky. “I want to ask Ciran questions.”
“You will.”
“And I’m not just a caretaker. I’m a warrior.”
“And a warrior does not argue with his commander.”
Nuno thrust his hand at Val and Dannika. “Why do they get to stay?”
“Because they are not related to your brothers. Nuno, your protests are not befitting an honorable warrior. Assist us or you will not hear the plans.”
Nuno stomped after his youngest brothers. He looked older, but Konomelu was right. This behavior resembled a whiny teen, not the maturity the other warriors had displayed in front of Dannika.
Hadali and Tulu crowded in. “If Nuno stays, I want to,” Hadali said, and Tulu nodded.
“Actually,” Val yawned, “if you don’t mind, I’m going to cash in again. I feel a lot better, but I’m almost snoozing. Food was delicious,” she told Angie. “Please don’t think I’m rude.”
“Not at all. Hadali? Tulu, help Val to the hammock.” Angie arranged netting and a sunshade for the morning.
Dannika helped store the food into animal-proofed vessels. Bex stoked the fire and partially replaced the lid to smoke the rest of the fish overnight. The older kids reluctantly put the younger ones to bed, with Itime and Meg supervising, and then they returned with Nuno, Tulu, and Hadali. The adults pulled mats around the curling smoke of the fire just like in eons gone by. A million stars burned overhead.
“Returning to the mainland will not be easy,” Konomelu said to Ciran. “When we escaped from the Luscan king with our soul mates, Itime’s father, Elder Daka, guaranteed the sanctuary of this island. But it has been impossible to train our young fry in these waters. Lieutenant Figuara, the previous patrol leader, looked the other way for the early tests. Eventually, we reached an impasse.”
The fire popped. Its sparks cast a temporary, somber glow on the warriors.
Ciran cleared his throat. “And then?”
Konomelu sighed heavily. “Prince Ankena decided that we must attempt to finish the training.”